Stonestreet Stables’ & WinStar Farm’s Carpe Diem, Giant’s Causeway’s Grade 1-winning son at two and three, has been retired from racing due to a knee chip, and will stand stud in 2016 at WinStar Farm in Versailles, KY...

Bellamy Road's Victoria's Wildcat ran down dueling leaders to win the
$118,800 Eight Belles S. (G3) for 3-year-old fillies by 2-1/4 lengths on
Friday, May 6 at Churchill Downs. The winner's share of the purse moved
Bellamy Road into the top spot among second crop sires. Besides
Victoria’s Wildcat, Bellamy Road is also represented by Toby's Corner,
winner of the Grade 1 Wood Memorial, and Zoebear, second in the Grade 3
Illinois Derby.

The Eight Belles was the debut in stakes competition for Victoria’s
Wildcat, who won for the second time in three races at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Bob Hess for the partnership of Bob and Victoria Bayer and
Jonathan Metcalf, Victoria's Wildcat was last of ten after a quarter
mile and had just one horse beat halfway around the turn. Jockey Kent
Desormeaux commenced a three wide move near the top of the lane and
closed strongly in the final furlong to win going away. She covered the
seven furlongs on a fast main track in 1:23.03.

“This is what we always thought we had, and it has finally all came
together,” said winning trainer Bob Hess. “She's going to be a neat
filly the rest of the year and next year. She's very healthy. We'll sit
down and talk about what's next – maybe something in New York or here.”

Added Desormeaux, “She got it going and in the end it unfolded just
like I'd hoped. It helps when you’ve got the horse to do it. It's like
going for that hole and having the hole go faster than you. Today we
were fast enough to get right on through.”

The victory was worth $69,973 and increased Victoria’s Wildcat’s
earnings to $151,571 with a record of 7-3-1-0. Victoria's Wildcat, a
Kentucky-bred filly, is out of the Woodman mare Flaming Mirage, scored
her first career victory last fall in a Churchill Downs allowance race
and has now won three consecutive races.

Stonestreet Stables’ & WinStar Farm’s Carpe Diem, Giant’s Causeway’s Grade 1-winning son at two and three, has been retired from racing due to a knee chip, and will stand stud in 2016 at WinStar Farm in Versailles, KY...